This Saturday, dolphin lovers across the world will join Sea Shepherd to defend dolphins

On Saturday, February 13, 2016, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, Sea Shepherd’s Cove Guardians and supporters worldwide will stand together for the third annual “World Love for Dolphins Day,” to hold peaceful demonstrations against the brutal capture and slaughter of dolphins that takes place in Taiji, Japan for the global captive dolphin trade. As Valentine’s Day approaches, thousands of people are preparing to express their love for dolphins and deliver the message that captivity funds their murder to businesses that profit from captive dolphins worldwide.

Sea Shepherd’s Cove Guardians are currently on the ground in Taiji, Japan documenting and exposing the cruel dolphin slaughter that takes place there annually from September to March. The slaughter of dolphins is funded by the sale of trained dolphins for captivity worldwide. We will stand with them this weekend to amplify their voices and show the world the dark history of almost every captive dolphin alive today.

Among those demonstrating around the world will be veteran Cove Guardian and Sea Shepherd Conversation Society Board of Directors Vice President Ethan Wolf in New York City. “World Love for Dolphin Day is your day to say no to captivity,” said Wolf. “It is your day to give your voice to the dolphins being captured in Taiji, Japan and around the world, and to give your voice to the dolphins already in captivity. The dolphins captured in Taiji are no different than the dolphins in swim with dolphin programs and in dolphin amusement parks like SeaWorld. In fact, any wild-caught dolphin most likely came from the Taiji dolphin drive. Every single dolphin in captivity has been starved as a training tool. Every single dolphin in captivity needs your voice.”

How can you participate in “World Love for Dolphins Day” demonstrations?

1. Demonstrate at a Local Business That Supports the Captive Dolphin Trade

Join Sea Shepherd and Sea Shepherd’s Cove Guardians at these locations to educate the public about the connection between the slaughter and the show and encourage local businesses to stop supporting the dolphin hunt. Download and print a poster, and join us.

Please note: Any locations outside of North America are to be considered "unofficial” Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS) events organized by local volunteers and will NOT involve Sea Shepherd Global or other Sea Shepherd entities outside of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.

For a staggering six months of each year, from September 1 until March, entire families of dolphins and small whales are driven into Taiji’s killing cove. Once netted within the shallow waters of the cove, their fate is sealed and the members of these doomed pods will face either imprisonment in captivity or brutal slaughter before the eyes of their families. Killers and trainers work side-by-side to select the “prettiest” dolphins and whales for captivity, those without visible scars. The others are mercilessly stabbed with a metal spike inserted into their backs, just behind the blowhole, to sever their spine. The dolphins slowly and painfully bleed to death or drown in the blood of their family—others may die as they are dragged to the butcher house, where the once living and free cetaceans are processed into meat for human consumption. These inhumane killings would not be allowed in any slaughterhouse in the world. Japan refuses to sign on to many protection efforts and regulations for marine mammals, despite most of the world recognizing the need to protect these self-aware, beloved and imperiled animals.

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society first brought the cove to the world’s attention by capturing and releasing now-iconic footage and imagery of the brutal hunts and slaughters in 2003, during which the cove turned a blood-red. Later the Academy Award-winning film The Cove again shone a spotlight on the hunts, bringing worldwide attention to the killings. Many individuals thought the film succeeded in bringing an end to the hunts, but that was not the case. So in 2010, Sea Shepherd established Operation Infinite Patience and our volunteer Cove Guardians took up positions alongside the cove to document, report and live stream these atrocities in the hope of capturing attention to bring pressure to bear to stop these barbaric acts. Sea Shepherd is the only organization to have a team on the ground in Taiji each day throughout the entire six-month killing season, and the only group who live streams every capture and every kill for the world to see. Sea Shepherd’s Cove Guardians will not stop shining a light on this atrocity until the slaughter ends.